The invention pertains to the field of tube type heat exchangers wherein a heat transfer medium passes through heat exchanger passages in a spiraling manner.
Tube type heat exchangers utilizing means for imparting a spiraling motion to a heat transfer medium, such as water, brine, or the like, are known. The advantage of imparting a spiraling motion to a heat transfer medium is to reduce the formation of heat insulation boundaries developing at the inner surface of the conduit or passage, and the rotation and turbulence of the medium assures high efficiency heat transfer between the medium and heat exchanger. However, known heat exchangers utilizing a spiraling medium flow produce such spiraling action by means of guides, vanes, restrictions and other apparatus which impedes the flow of the medium through the exchanger creating a resistance which must be overcome by employing relatively large pumps, complicated distribution apparatus and other equipment which increases the size of the heat exchanger and associated equipment.
While relatively small heat exchangers are known, such as hot water or steam boilers, such devices have not enjoyed high efficiencies with respect to heat transfer and high heat transfer efficiency heretofore has often been sacrificed in heat exchangers of a concise configuration. In this present age of fuel shortages low efficiency heat exchangers cannot be tolerated.